Hall of Fame

JODY THOMPSON

After many years of devotion to Kansas wrestling, Jody Thompson is highly deserving of being a inductee into the honored Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Thompson attended high school at Duncan High School in Duncan, Oklahoma, graduating in 1966. He then was a two-time All-American wrestler for Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. Thompson was a two-time Olympic finals qualifier in 1968 and 1972.

After his successful competition career, Thompson turned his talents to coaching, where he devoted thirty years of developing standout Kansas wrestlers at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels.

His coaching career began at Topeka Seaman High School, before moving on to Columbus High School. Thompson coached two state champions and 13 state placers in the high school ranks. He coached AAU and Kids Federation teams, and served as the Kansas Junior National Team Head Coach from 1975-1987. He was also the Northern and Southern Plains Kids Head Coach from 1975-1981.

Thompson served on the Rocky Mountain Regional as the representative to the USA Junior World Committee from 1994-2002.

Thompson became Labette County Community College’s first coach, leading the program to much success from 1975 until his recent retirement in 2003. He coached two national champions and 41 All-Americans. His teams were Academic National Champions seven times and he coached a total of 217 Academic All-Americans.

He was named NJCAA Region VI Coach of the Year in 1981, 1986, and 1998. He has the third most dual wins in NJCAA wrestling history with a career record of 319-105-5. He was named the NJCAA “Man of the Year” in 1999.

In 1984, Thompson served as the head freestyle coach of the Pam-American team. He served as the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association President in 1996 and served as Chairman of the NJCAA Districting Committee from 1990-2003. Thompson was named to the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 1991.